Aventura, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/04/2015 -- One of the biggest challenges facing schools these days is how to source the best digital resources in the market for their students while working with shrinking budgets and limited staffing resources. Less time, less money is a dangerous combination that could seriously impede the adoption of new and effective tools in the marketplace that can make the difference for students. So what is the educator in a crunch suppose to do?

The simple answer: hope someone up the education food chain is able see the needs on the individual student level and pick the right tools. In order to bridge the gap between teachers, schools and suppliers, digital educational resource company Sunburst started to bring new and innovative technologies right to the schools that need them the most. In three decades of operation, Sunburst's pioneering attitude has helped countless number of students over the years by taking the risk normal associated with new resources out of the equation for educators.

One of the Sunburst's newest partnerships is with a growing startup out of South Florida called MaxScholar that is focused on reading intervention for a school's youngest and most vulnerable population. The MaxScholar software is completely cloud-based meaning no installation hassles (a format that more and more schools are looking for) which means all you need is the internet to get started. The program has three distinct solutions depending on the students' needs and reading level: MaxPhonics Early Start which is geared for the youngest readers to dive into phonics, MaxPhonics & Reading K-2 which is focused on young school-aged students that need help making the leap from phonics to reading, and MaxGuru which is aimed at increasing reading comprehension. MaxGuru alone is noted for increasing

Renowned educator's Dr(s) Deborah and Elliot Levy with the help of their son Daniel Levy have combined decades of experience and research with the young spirit of a Silicon Valley tech startup to create some astounding results through MaxScholar. Not only are teachers and parents seeing their students catch up in reading, but in some cases the actually get ahead of other students at the same grade level. Why the sudden accelerated reading results in students that before were struggling? From an initial glance at their product one thing is clear: it looks like a video game! And it's precisely that game theory that makes this system work for both teachers and students. The teachers get their students actually engaged in the material that they were previously having difficulties understanding and the students see MaxScholar as the fun reward for the day. What a combination!

Obviously there is science and research that's gone into each step of the system, which is why it can harness the colorful visuals and game components to drive real learning results. Take a look at their website here for information on the science behind the programs or request a demo of the product to see it for yourself. Online programs like MaxScholar and the various other programs offered in other disciplines like math and science through Sunburst are the future of education. In less than a quarter of a century we have almost seen the death of traditional instructional materials because of the roaring success of technology both inside and outside the classroom.

Some researchers will claim that old school reading and learning techniques are still best at teaching phonics and learning, but unfortunately education itself has big competition with games and distractions on mobile computing devices. Since the students are growing up and learning in this over-stimulated world, we need to give learning a fighting chance by fighting for the attention of the young and impressionable with the same tricks. We are on the verge of global educational shift to digital where no educator wants to be left on the other side. The question is, will educators in your community get on board before students get left in the dust?

Bilingual and Immigrant Education
TITLE: Technology's role: Bilingual education vs. English Immersion

Any teacher in the United States can tell you that today's classrooms are a lot different than 30, 10, or even 5 years ago. We have technology to thank for a lot of those changes with shiner gadgets that lead our students to be more productive in some areas and much less in others. But these changes are not solely external; it's the students themselves that are different too. Keep in mind that the U.S. has always been a country of immigrants, one of the things that make our country great in fact. Never before has there been such large percentages of English Language Learners (ELL) in schools across the country meaning that teachers and administrators need to be strategizing the best ways to incorporate these students that do not know English as their first language.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics in public schools across the U.S. an impressive 9.2 percent of students, 4.4 million students in total, were ELL during the 2012-2013 school year. When you break the numbers down by state you see even larger percentages like in the District of Columbia, Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas all of which had 10.0 percent or more of students enrolled identified as ELL. Specifically in California almost a quarter of all students, 22.8 percent, were speaking English as their second language. These numbers aren't that surprising if you are from these areas of the countries and see the changing makeup of individual communities.

Immigration gives our country the unique opportunity to learn and respect various cultures from around the world, especially our neighbors from North, Central and South America. That being said, there is the main challenge of needing to speak a common language in order for this learning to ever take place, which is a priority for all schools. In our country English is that common language, but each year Spanish is also becoming a closer second place. Depending on the unique needs of a particular school or school district different tactics can be employed to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to a quality education. The two main camps of thought on the issue are Bilingual education vs. English immersion.

There is a lot of debate on which method is best at ensuring academic excellence for ELLs but everyone can agree that the right tools need to be in place in order to provide the best environment for an ELL to succeed. An example of a powerful tool that can help those struggling with English language learning is MaxScholar, an online phonics and reading software designed to breakdown reading to its most basic elements. Since the programs are completely online, the student can access the program from anywhere, including mobile devices, and can continue lessons from home as well.

The suite of program designed by MaxScholar can be just as effective for student's whose first language is English but are having difficulties grasping any range of phonics or reading concepts. There in lies the beauty of having a dynamic digital program for a school with a mixed population where affordable tools are needed for a large range of needs with students across grade levels needing help in reading. Research shows that language and reading comprehension are the cornerstones are productive educational experience and those students who fall behind in reading usually stay behind in all other subject areas. For this reason having reading intervention programs in place and available for students in all grade levels in order to perform targeted reading interventions is critical to ensuring a good foundation is in place for all students regardless of their background.

Each year the landscape is changing more and more which means curriculum needs to be changing to fit the needs of our modern learners, tighter budgets, and transitional classrooms. Sourcing of digital resources remains one of the biggest challenges for educators and administrators who have identified needs but need flexible materials in order to satisfy multiple needs at the same time. With more tech innovators entering the market each year we can remain hopeful that soon there will be tools for all of our needs, then it will just be the tireless quest to secure the funding to buy all those glorious tools.

Media Contact:
2800 Island Boulevard
33160
http://maxscholar.com/
MAXSCHOLAR
Debby 305-496-7208
info@maxscholar.com